The documentary ‘My Octopus Teacher’ has brought its creators Pippa Ehrlich, James Reed, and Craig Foster international recognition- nominated for a BAFTA in the best documentary category – they triumphed Saturday night walking away with the award for Best Documentary.
Directed by Pippa Ehrlich and James Reed My Octopus Teacher is the story of an unlikely bond between filmmaker Craig Foster and an octopus. Of the experience, Foster says,' She taught me that we are inseparable from nature." The film, first released on Netflix chronicles a never-before-seen relationship between a human and a mollusc.
The film was shot in a kelp forest off the Cape of Storms by a 52-year-old Forest who tells us in the documentary that he started free-diving without a wetsuit in the icy kelp forest to re-energize himself after suffering severe burnout.
What then transpires is a journey in which he forges a remarkable relationship with the octopus and discovers what a truly incredible sea creature it is. The movie has also been nominated for an Oscar in the same category.
The awards were broadcast from London’s Albert Hall - watch Ehrlich's acceptance speech on behalf of the team right here – congratulations!
The documentary has been nominated for an Oscar in the same category.
Craig Foster is a co-founder of the Sea Change Project - an NPO whose goal is to protect South Africa’s marine environment by making the Great African Sea forest a global icon. “Through hundreds of hours of underwater exploration, they have come to understand this unique environment and the community of creatures that live within it. To date, we have generated millions of rands worth of publicity for our kelp forest. We support the call to sustainably increase South Africa’s marine protected areas (MPAs). We are committed to furthering global marine conservation goals towards 30% by 2030”.
For a complete list of all the BAFTA WINNERS click on https://www.bafta.org/
